Often a story of little consequence can grab the imagination
and attention of the nation while a much bigger story passes by without notice.
That’s the case right now as the NFL protests block out almost everything else including
the admission by the Trump Administration that 21
states were targeted by hackers during last year’s election, the president’s
new expanded travel ban and, most sadly, the devastating effect that Hurricane
Maria had on the islands of the Caribbean, particularly Puerto Rico.
Maybe it’s hurricane fatigue. Maybe it’s the fact that most
of us don’t really think of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a part of the
United States. Maybe it’s just that the NFL is right in our living rooms while
the people of Puerto Rico are a thousand miles away in the middle of the Caribbean.
Part of the problem may be the difficulty in reporting news
from an island where the power grid has been knocked completely offline and may
not be operational for six months. Think about that. An island of 3.6
million people, a territory of the United States, has been effectively
moved back 100 years in time.
No electrical power in a tropical climate means no air
conditioning and no refrigeration for food. Medical care is difficult without
lights and power for medical equipment. The category four storm killed
30 people in the Caribbean, but many more may die in the aftermath of the
storm from lack of food, water and medical care.
Without electric power, the island’s manufacturing and
tourism sectors of the economy will also crash to a standstill. With factories
idle and resorts closed, most of the island’s inhabitants will have no way to
support themselves and their families.
The bottom line is that Puerto Rico and the other islands
damaged by Hurricane Maria are going to need lots of help for a long time. With
FEMA funds almost exhausted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the burden is going
to fall on private charities funded by donations from companies and individuals
like you and me.
If you are uncertain about what to donate or what charities
are worthy of your donation, the FEMA website publishes guidelines
for donations and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)
has an online form that
helps to steer your donation to vetted organizations. NBC’s Chuck Todd has also
identified several
organizations that are top rated for their work in Puerto Rico.
FEMA recommends that you donate cash rather than supplies.
My experience
volunteering at a shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey confirms
that money is easier to deal with than supplies. Cash can purchase exactly what
is needed at the time while donations of supplies may or may not contain what
is needed at the time. (I think back to an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati in which the station donated 3,000 blonde wigs
to Guatemalan earthquake victims.) Supplies must be inventoried, sorted,
stockpiled and shipped. That takes manpower, time and money.
Donations of supplies that aren’t needed right away incur
costs for storage and take up space. Since the affected areas are islands,
virtually everything needed to sustain the people who live there for the next
six months will have to be brought in on ships or airplanes. It is much more
efficient to purchase large quantities of relief supplies that are ready for
shipment than to bundle donations together in a piecemeal fashion.
NVOAD also has a contact form for volunteers
who would like to go to one of the areas affected by the hurricanes to help
personally. With FEMA and other relief organizations stretched thin by three
disasters in quick succession, additional volunteers will be badly needed.
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will be dependent on
outside aid for survival for a very long time. The chain of disasters is taxing
the reserves of relief agencies as well as wearing out relief workers. The citizens
of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands need your help.
It’s time to come together to help our fellow Americans on
the US islands of the Caribbean.
Originally published
on The Resurgent
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